From the Creator we come, and to the Creator we return:
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
“Wherever you may be, death will overcome you—even if you were in fortified towers.”
Surah An-Nisa 4:78
It is the reality of life that no one escapes death. At the appointed time the Angel of Death takes every soul, without any consideration for age, wealth, celebrity, and social status.
However, knowing this should not cause us to lack compassion for others.
It was reported by Qays ibn Sa’d that a funeral passed by the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and he stood up. It was said to him, “It is a Jew.” The Prophet replied, “Was he not a soul?”
In another narration, the Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily, you stand to glorify Allah, who is the receiver of souls.”
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
عن قيس بن سعد إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرَّتْ بِهِ جَنَازَةٌ فَقَامَ فَقِيلَ إِنَّهُ يَهُودِيٌّ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَتْ نَفْسًا
وفي رواية أخرى قال إِنَّمَا تَقُومُونَ إِعْظَامًا لِلَّذِي يَقْبِضُ النُّفُوسَ
صحيح البخاري كتاب الجنائز باب من قام لجنازة يهودي
Islam dictates that we neither mock nor laugh over such sensitive matters and traditionally Muslims respect the deceased by not speaking any ill of them. Nor do we follow the hypocritical champions of free speech. Those that approve of mocking the Prophets of Allah, and then show intolerance over ‘jokes’ made against the Queen.
Accordingly, no personal deformation about the character of Queen Elizabeth II is likely to come from the Muslim community. Neither will doubt be cast upon the sincerity of people’s sadness over the death of the Queen. And indeed, many Muslims may well pay their respects to her too.
The longer you remain alive the more you endure personal loss. Those of us that have experienced the death of a parent will immediately have empathy for the grief of the surviving members of the Royal Family. There is no contradiction in Islam with Muslims paying sincere respect to the deceased. And there is no contradiction between respecting the dead with recognising the relation of the institutions of Britain with both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Although this particular monarch was head of a state in a mostly post-imperial era, it was none-the-less a reign when Britain continued to inflict injustice upon Muslims and other peoples around the world. The Mau Mau massacres in Kenya and the atrocities in Yemen illustrate how Britain chose to ‘withdraw’ from its formal colonies. And recently, the wars launched in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in levels of death, destruction, and destabilisation that cannot be excused as minor misdemeanours. Moreover, in her role as head of state, the late Queen had a direct role in giving legitimacy to some of the most odious and oppressive regimes in the Muslim world – like those in Jordan, Oman, and the Gulf states.
In addition, it is in her name, Salman Rushdie was ‘honoured’.
For all that she represented, there should be no surprise about any Muslim having difficulty with mourning her passing.
Secondly, monarchy is a strange system where somebody becomes head of state purely by birth right. It is an unjust system, where the head of state is above the law. The taxes are collected in their names, whilst they (despite being amongst the richest) do not pay tax. Indeed, the Royal Family is surrounded by opulent luxury, while so many British citizens carry an unequal burden of taxation and many struggle daily to make ends meet.
Thirdly, governments utilise such times of mourning, for their own ends. It is right that the media gives thorough coverage over the death and a funeral of the Queen, however the opportunity for political leaders to escape scrutiny will be exploited. Ordinary people face a cost-of-living crisis where not everyone is ‘in it together’. The energy crisis has been created, in part, by a war pursuing political objectives superfluous to the lives of common people. As we are amid a decline of confidence over politician’s ability in taking care of citizen’s needs, we should be wary of the state and corporate media manipulating peoples’ emotions to generate patriotic sentiments to temporarily bind society towards apathy.
Finally, we should all reflect on the ultimate lesson of death – which is that it marks the junction between the deeds of this world, and the Hereafter. We are all answerable for our deeds.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
“Every soul will taste death. And We test you with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you all will be returned.”
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:35
Abdul’s World 